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Khabib Nurmagomedov: Learn wrestling if you want to compete with me

“I think all of the top-10 really needs to learn wrestling if they want to compete with me,” Nurmagomedov told MMAjunkie through an interpreter.

It’s a confident boast, but one full of truth. After all, the Dagestani-born fighter averages 7.09 takedowns per 15 minutes of octagon time, the highest rate of any fighter in UFC history (minimum of five fights) accord to FightMetric.

It was a thorough victory, though the wrestling-based strategy didn’t always play well to the Florida-crowd attending Saturday’s UFC on FOX 11 event.

Nurmagomedov said he wasn’t overly concerned with those voicing their disapproval and believes his win – his sixth in the UFC – was an impressive feat.

“I think I had a very tough opponent,” Nurmagomedov said. “He was ranked No. 5. I think I did pretty well.”

Nurmagomedov is closing in on six years as a professional fighter and has yet to taste defeat in 22 bouts. In just 16 months in the UFC, he has already downed dos Anjos, Pat Healy, Abel Trujillo, Thiago Tavares, Gleison Tibau and Kamal Shalorus. Nurmagomedov isn’t calling anyone out for his next appearance, but he’s unquestionably due for a big fight.

“He’s impressive,” UFC President Dana White said. “He looked good, and he’s working his way there, for sure.”

I don't really like Dagestani people, they have a really bad reputation in Russia. (It is said that you may be walking in the street and a group of 5 Dagestani guys will beat the crap out of you only because they liked your jacket. And they are really dangerous because all of them start wrestling since age 4 or 5, so they really know how to kick your ass in an ugly way). But this Nurmagomedov dude is frankly amazing, he constantly puts pressure on his opponents.

I am interested in how he would do against some really big name. Melendez, Edgar, Pettis and Bendo are fights I really want to see.

He's got to be one of the strongest guys competing at lightweight - Shalorous, Tibau and Trujillo are all big, strong dudes and Khabib tossed them around.

He's just taken out #5 in the division fairly comfortably, but dos Anjos's best win is Cerrone, so his ranking was more based on his streak than quality of wins. I'm very interested in who he gets matched up with from here.